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9.04 + 4870x2 = messed up desktop, Please help

04-27-2009, 04:12 AM

Hello there !

I am total noob and extremly exited about Ubuntu. I have very powerfull card installed on my system 4870x2 and looks like I am having problems with it.

After installation on Ubuntu I got informed that proprietary drivers are available for my ATI video card and I clicked okay for download and install. After restart right on moment when I would see desktop I see messed up screen and looks like system, freeze too. After that I format hard drive and install Ubuntu again and decided to download drivers from AMD web site. ati-driver-installer-9-4-x86.x86_64.run Installed it via very nice GUI and after reboot EXACTLY same thing happened. I mean even screen looked exactly messed up like before, you know sometimes it get messed up totally randomly ? No this one is same as before. Guys please help me out here I don't know what to do, I also tried to download 9.2 drivers but on install it saying that this version on Ubuntu not supported by 9.2 (something like that)

Here is my system specs I hope you can help out. Right now I am in Ubuntu with no ATI stuff installed I did reformat hdd again cause I could not login again because of messed up screen.

I really down know what else to mention all I know is I think If I can remember at some point of time I had Ubuntu few versions before and it worked fine with my card. Again I "THINK". I hope guys you can help.

Comment

Exactly the same problem where with my 4850x2. My screen looks basically exactly the same. (OR I get a blank screen with nothing.)

I use a 4850x2 AND a single 4850 in "tri-fire". I thought that it might have something to do with using triple cards or having two monitors. But I've tried with only 1 monitor and only the 4850x2 card. It will not work.

I might be able to get a single 4850 to work; but that would kind of defeat the purpose of owning 3 GPU.

So I wait... hopefully this will get fixed in 9.5. I've tried turning off RandR and setting everything manually in the xorg.conf file, but that did not work.

NOTE: The same problem existed on both the older 8.10 Ubuntu and the newer 9.04 Ubuntu.

Comment

I ve been reading on our problem and I actually went to IRC channel with a lot of "PROS" in there and here what I find out. To be short and without any technical stuff they told me that we can't just install drivers with ATI installer or with internal Ubuntu restricted driver package because it simply does not work. Why they (ATI) released installer still unknown for me but. They told me in order for all of us using R700 (it's 4800 series) card we need to compile out own drivers and not just them. Installation is very complicated process, so complicated I can't find a SINGLE tutorial on where they saying okay... Step 1 install ubuntu , step 2 Do this ,step 3 do that... everything is SOOOOO washed out that I don't think there is people that know what or how to do, otherwise we would of have few answers by now. And best answer I got is this. Wait till AMD officially support Linux and Wait for new drivers.

So if anyone our there successfully installed driver and your R700 card work in 9.04 ubuntu with 2D and 3D please let us know cause we need real help here.

I've tried with both monitors one at a time and same result. So far I've tried all the ATI drivers release this year (9.1 to 9.4) but no luck. The only one that works so far is 8.12 version from December. Even then there is flicker when watching movies not in full screen. HDMI audio doesn't work with some apps. Very frustrating. Sorry, I don't have any work arounds except try the 8.12 version, it is not perfect like the windows version but gets my work done. All work and no play on linux

Comment

I was thinking by this time someone who know something will let us know. What I am trying to say is: As you can see we are exited enough to get in to linux scene so we are not just your avarage users, let say me I am system analyst with over 12 years of professional expirience but all this translated in to knowlege of hardware and windows platform. And at this point I am kinda confused about what is going on. I mean my first try with linux was back when Mandrake just came out then Mandriva and I do know that this is free platform and all this drivers are beeng made by very people that here with us in chat rooms and forums and they do all that with their free time and they don't get paid for it too. But with all that there is completely no info on specific things. I did found that R600 and R700 supported with I think 1.6 or 1.7 server that comes with Ubuntu 9.04 but at same time it is not supported with drivers. I know it does not make any scence but that's what's up. Does anyone here on this forum know what is going on or at list send us to website that explain what is going on with Ubuntu 9.04 AND R700 cards like 4870x2 (I think all 4800 series in that matter)

Thank you guys. I hope we'll get some support here cause lack of answers means 2 things. 1 answer is all over the net (can't see that happening) so that's why noone responding or noone really know. IF it's second one I don't see how it's possible cause if you are programmer you can compile and build your own damn drivers ....confused very confused.... and yes I still love Ubuntu ! It rocks !

Comment

Sounds like you may have forgotten the last step when installing the drivers...namely:

Code:

sudo aticonfig --initial -f

I need to do this always when installing a new driver from Ati if I have uninstalled the previous one, or I have ati or radeon driver in use before I install the Ati drivers. The screenshots show exactly like that in 9.04 if I have not done the aticonfig bit. I have a 4870, not 4870x2, but I think this is the case, regardless.